


Tomorrow's Money

by ventricletastetest



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No My Chemical Romance, Asshole!Gerard, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Lovers To Enemies, M/M, Spoiled!Mikey, danger days era gerard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:15:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29349522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ventricletastetest/pseuds/ventricletastetest
Summary: Frank has managed to avoid meeting his high school sweetheart's family for nearly four years. He loves him to no end, but knows the wealthy family will look down on him for his struggling middle class status based on his boyfriend's superficial upbringing alone. When a family dinner introducing them all proves these suspicions to be true, everything changes.
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way, Frank Iero/Mikey Way, Frank Iero/Original Male Character(s), Mikey Way/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Wanted to start writing something a lot less time consuming and much less angsty than my current story (Avalanche), I'll still be updating that but here's something very different to balance it out lol
> 
> Feedback/Comments/Suggestions appreciated :)

The sunset peaked through the cracks of the blinds and lined the walls in strips of pinks and yellows. Frank stared at the perfectly blended hues from the comfort of his bed, a messy nest of several blankets, humming to himself when his phone's ringtone began to blare, startling him. It was I'm The One by the Descendents; he still hasn't changed it yet, despite his boyfriend's constant nagging about it. _“It's not romantic, it makes me sound like a douche. What are people going to think when they hear that it's your boyfriend's ringtone? You could find something a lot sweeter”_ , he'd whine and roll his eyes repeatedly. Frank had argued time and time again that his partner was misinterpreting the lyrics; he didn't even know the full song outside the ringtone-snippet and had only Googled the lyrics, he didn't like the Descendents, or any of the music Frank liked, or made for that matter. Frank had stubbornly kept it and brushed off his boyfriend's complaints because the song resonated with him for so long before the two were official. The song spoke all the words Frank struggled to tell him back then, but that was a story for another time.

“Hey baby”, he cooed into the receiver after accepting the call. “Frank”, his boyfriend huffed, already irritated with him, “Are you going to be here on time tonight? Or do you need me to come pick you up?” Frank sat up in bed and rolled his eyes, “Mikey, I'll be there on time – And before you remind me, I _know_ on time really means ten minutes early, to you.” There was a short pause before Mikey had to continue the rant Frank knew he had prepared before calling. Mikey had a tendency to get aggravated with things before they even happened, and once he was set on being aggravated, he stuck with it regardless of how it actually played out. “I wouldn't have to double check if you didn't forget to look at a clock at the most inconvenient times. You know how important tonight is for us. Oh and please-” Frank didn't need his nerves to be made worse, “Dress for the occasion, _I know, Mikey._ Not overdressed but not too casual, you told me a thousand times.” He could hear Mikey's breath hitch, he hated being cut off but it was crucial for Frank's sanity to make this conversation as brief as possible. “Actually Mikey, if _you_ knew the time you'd realize I should probably get in the shower now if I wanna be on time! Gotta go, love you baby!”, Frank laughed as he heard Mikey's distressed voice raise, _“You haven't showered yet!?”_ before he ended the call.

Frank had been dreading this dinner for weeks. Tonight was the night he was scheduled to finally meet his boyfriend's parents, and he had been putting it off every opportunity he had. The only lies he'd ever told his boyfriend were the ones about his work schedule; little white lies about being called in ever so conveniently, each time his boyfriend suggested meeting his parents. Frank had met the parents of many exes, dealt with the nervousness and awkward small talk, but this was different. To say they had grown up on opposite sides of the tracks was an understatement: Mikey's father was a lawyer who's success rate was supported by his Manhattan office overlooking the Hudson. Mikey's mother was a fashion designer for a line of high end children's clothing that Frank wouldn't even try to pronounce the name of. Their image meant the world to them, and the apple did not fall far from the tree - Mikey cared so much about how the world perceived him. He was always dressed his best, kept his emotions hidden under public eye, never raised his voice or laughed too loudly, and attended Princeton studying law and public affairs to follow in his father's footsteps.

Frank on the other hand, took a gap year after graduating high school that continued to extend, now two years later. He never had much of an interest in college, but when his GPA didn't win him any of the scholarships he'd applied for, he knew further education was out of the question for a while. He lived in a small, two bedroom home, raised by a single mother who frequently worked overtime managing a local diner. Frank had been working part-time as a busboy there since he turned sixteen, and after high school ended, he also began working part-time at a local music store. He knew it drove his boyfriend up the walls that he had no interest in going to college. A frequent discussion Frank had repeatedly tried to ignore was when Mikey wanted him _“to strive for more in life.”_ He knew his boyfriend couldn't wrap his head around how comfortable Frank was constantly working and playing gigs at shitty dive bars with his band. Of course, Frank had dreams and aspirations, but they were centered around things that made him happy, things his boyfriend deemed “impractical.”

All of these were key reasons he did not want to attend dinner. He didn't want to feel like he was defending himself when asked about the town he lived in, his jobs that barely paid above minimum wage, and not going to college. He didn't want to see their faces when he pulled up in his dingy Camry that was more than half his age. He didn't want to explain that he liked playing shows that rarely paid his punk band in his free time, as opposed to Mikey who spent his free time at his internship, or playing tennis in his family's private court in the backyard. He knew they were different, but he still loved his boyfriend to no end, and despite all of Mikey's reassuring words, Frank still had doubts that it would be enough for his parents.

Frank dragged his feet to the bathroom and into the shower, being sure to set a timer on his phone to avoid any distractions that would make him even a second late. Mikey had constantly complained about his tardiness; if you weren't ten minutes early you might as well have been ten minutes late. He had instilled that in Frank's mind repeatedly when Frank showed up at the actual time of their first handful of dates; he'd never technically been late, but it didn't matter according to his boyfriend's standards. After his shower, Frank stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom switching back and forth between the potential outfit choices he held in front of his torso. Normally, Frank would wear ripped jeans, a band tee and a cardigan or a hoodie. So it made sense for him to already feel out of place when he decided on a clean pair of fitted black jeans, a tucked-in olive green button up and a business casual-esque blazer; he'd been warned several weeks ago to cover his tattoos for this dinner. He looked in the mirror and fumbled with his hair, something his boyfriend had been harassing him to cut; it was just beginning to graze his shoulders and Mikey told him it looked “unkempt”, even if Frank knew Mikey really just hated how it always ended up in his face when he slept over. He tucked it behind his ears and looked over his reflection once more; he felt like he was going on a job interview and immediately stopped to put on deodorant. His anxiety was already radiating heat through his limbs. His second timer on his phone beeped, telling him it was time to head to Mikey's if he wanted to be punctual.


	2. This Is How I Disappear

Frank pulled up the long driveway of the Way Estate and felt his palms sweat as they gripped tightly on the steering wheel. He parked off to the side and stared out his window at the house as he turned his car off. The house was sage-green and dark grey, with white trim along the gable; three stories high with a multitude of windows and the immediate sides of the home were lined with perfectly maintained hedges that lead paths to a large seating area where parties were held throughout the summer alongside their gazebo. The rest of the paths lead to different areas of their backyard like the private tennis court, pool area and pool house. Frank shook his head and exhaled deeply as if to shake off his nervousness. This wasn't his first time at his boyfriend's house, he'd been here more times than he could count. He had just never met any residents of the home outside of his boyfriend and the waitstaff. He exited his car and approached the front door, hesitating before ringing the doorbell that he heard chime throughout the interior, from outside. 

He was beyond thankful when his boyfriend greeted him at the front door, welcoming him with a brief hug. “Hey baby”, Frank greeted softly, “Told ya I'd be on time.” Mikey smiled shyly, gently shaking his head to himself as he guided Frank further into the house. Frank couldn't hide his smirk, his boyfriend hated when he was right. The two entered the dining room through the large pillared walkway where his father sat at the end of the long dinner table. It was obvious where Mikey got his genes from; his face practically mirrored his father's. His father's face was stern as he stared at the phone in his hands. The resemblance between Mikey and his father reminded Frank of the digitally aged edits of missing children to assume their current appearance and it kind of creeped him out, he wanted to laugh but held back knowing the warning glare he'd receive from his boyfriend if he acted so in front of his family. Mikey's mother stood off to the side, gushing over something on her phone with a member of their kitchen staff. She stood in a black knee-length cocktail dress and beige patent leather pumps; highlighted blonde hair in body waves that outlined her fully made-up face. She had clearly had a lot of work done, and she flaunted it; not in a bad way at all, but in the way Frank knew no one her age could naturally have the face of someone his age. She beamed enthusiastically in her conversation as if she were expecting candid photos to be taken at any minute.

Mikey cleared his throat and his parents directed their attention to him, waitstaff filling the table with entrees as if invisible to the rest of them. “Hello boys!”, Mikey's mother smiled as she dropped her conversation immediately and walked over to take her seat next to Mikey's father. “This is Frank”, Mikey said, there was a tinge of uncertainty in his voice that Frank noticed. He tucked his hair back behind his ear, a nervous habit as his boyfriend's anxiety bounced back to him. Frank walked over to the table and extended a hand to Mr. Way, “Very nice to meet you, sir.” His father scoffed and smiled softy, “I was wondering when we'd finally make acquaintance. You can call me Don.” Frank nodded before turning to Mikey's mother, placing a small peck on her cheek, “Mrs. Way, you look stunning. It's nice to meet you.” She hummed in response, “Oh please, call me Donna. I was afraid I wouldn't meet you til the wedding!” Frank chuckled softly before returning to his boyfriend's side.

Frank hoped his demeanor came off as well-mannered and polite, because on the inside he was screaming. He was polite by nature, but this was ass-kissing on a whole different level. And the mention of marriage, joke or not, made his stomach turn; He by no means had commitment issues, but he'd heard the phrase _”when you marry someone, you marry the family”_ one too many times and knew he shouldn't have still been as nervous as he was. Mikey sat down next to his father, across from his mother and Frank joined him. “The food looks extravagant”, Don called over to the waitstaff. “Olivia, could you please grab my other son for dinner before you go home? Thank you”, Mrs. Way smiled as she glanced over at the maid who was clearly already on he way out of the house, purse over her shoulder. She nodded softly before exiting the dining room and out the back door. The table's layout reminded him of a Thanksgiving dinner, there was more than enough food for the five of them, and Frank was instantly stressed out over yet another thing: Mikey clearly had not told anyone he was vegetarian, the table was primarily meat dishes and Frank was hoping no one would pay attention to ask questions when he had to fill his plate with side dishes.

“So Frank, what college do you attend?”, Mr. Way asked as he started adding food to his plate. Frank wished the floor would open and swallow him whole. “Uh, I'm not attending college, currently. Wanted to take a gap year”, Frank shrugged, laughing nervously. “Gap year? Did you not graduate with Michael? That'd be two gap years”, Mr. Way raised his brows, looking down at his plate. “Dad!”, Mikey hissed. “Yeah, unfortunately my scores were not nearly as great as his, so I've been focusing on working before going to school”, Frank's voice cracked and he prayed no one would notice. “So then, what do you do for work?”, Mr. Way pressed and Frank could hear Mikey sigh.

Before Frank could respond, the chair across from him at the table squeaked as Mikey's brother sat down. “So kind of you to finally join us”, Mrs. Way muttered. When Frank looked up, he was shocked. He knew Mikey had an older brother, but he had only come up in passing; his boyfriend only ever mentioned him when discussing him as being part of a group, never individually, and Frank had never seen anything beyond baby pictures of the brothers. He looked nothing like Mikey outside of sharing a slender physique; he had a pixie-like upturned nose, pale complexion with sharp, hazel eyes in contrast to Mikey's light brown with a darker speck inside. But what really took him by surprise was the bright red hair that almost reached his beat-up leather jacket clad shoulders, with the sides shaved. He looked like someone who would hang out in the venues Frank's band played, and he'd be lying to himself if he said the older brother wasn't attractive. He didn't look up to greet anyone and began adding food to his plate.

“I work at my mom's diner and a music shop for now”, Frank said quietly, as he filled his plate with salad. “That's gonna get you far”, Mikey's brother scoffed under his breath. Frank could immediately tell from Don and Donna's faces that they didn't approve of his work. “I'm sorry, how exactly did you meet my son?”, Mrs. Way asked. Frank exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding as Mikey spoke up, “Holy Angels. We went to school together, remember?” Mrs. Way hummed an “oh” before everyone continued eating. 

“So, what are your plans for the future?”, Mr. Way asked. He didn't glance up from his plate, but Frank knew the question was directed at him. Mrs. Way cut him off before he could speak, “Are you just going to eat salad? There's plenty of other options.. Eat up, the rate you're going you could model my Fall collection!” Frank tried his best to keep his composure by reminding himself this was the woman who raised the love of his life, to avoid visibly seething over how she passive-aggressively called him the size of a fucking child. “Actually, Mrs. Way, I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat meat and I have a handful of food allergies”, Frank said politely. “Oh no.. what kind of food could you cater a wedding with like that? Practically nothing to work with...”, she replied. Frank wanted to know why she kept mentioning weddings and was hoping this wasn't her way of nonchalantly exploiting anything Mikey might have said to her privately about hopes for the recent future. Sure Frank wanted to marry Mikey one day, but they had only started dating towards the end of junior year in high school... they were only twenty years old. Marriage was not on his list of priorities.

Not knowing what to say, Frank continued picking at his salad and ignoring Mikey's brother commenting under his breath, “Doubt they'll even get married.” Frank glanced at his boyfriend and kicked his leg under the table, trying to silently demand some type of relief. Mikey glanced over and shrugged before returning to his attention to his plate. “What do you do in all your spare time not going to school?”, Mr. Way asked. And that was it, Frank knew there was no way to get out of this dinner unscathed. This wasn't a meet and greet with the parents, it was a trial and he was facing the electric chair.

“Well when I'm not working either of my jobs, I read a lot. And I play in a band with my friends”, Frank said. Now it was Mikey kicking his leg under the table and side-eyeing him. He forgot Mikey had specifically told him not to mention the band, and he was crumbling under the weight of his parent's questions. “A band?”, Mr. Way furrowed his brows, “What kind of band?” Frank placed his fork down on his napkin, his appetite had escaped him at this point. “I guess you could call it a punk band.. We play a lot of shows at local bars”, Frank mumbled. “Is that what you expect to make a career out of?”, Mr. Way pushed. “Wooow, you guys really can't shit on my job anymore if this is what Mikey's _boyfriend_ expects to make a living from”, Mikey's brother cackled. “Shut up, Gerard!”, Mikey's raised voice warned. Gerard laughed and rolled his eyes, “Me shutting up isn't gonna make them less embarrassed of me or you less embarrassed of _him_.” Frank's stomach was in knots and he felt a lump in the back of his throat. Was Mikey embarrassed of him? He knew he stuck out like a sore thumb in Mikey's future plans but he always anticipated to be by his side, and be supported every step of the way, the way he supported his boyfriend. He knew Mikey was high-maintenance – okay, maybe Mikey was _a little_ stuck up..But they loved each other unconditionally. He rubbed his sweating palms on the thighs of his jeans under the table in hopes to calm himself down before he let his insecurities run rampant.

But the thing that didn't soothe his worrying was Mikey's silence. “Well, music can be a great hobby. But even you know it's just that – a hobby, not a career”, Mr. Way spoke,”But not that either of your gigs are careers either.. So what do you plan on doing?” Frank swallowed dryly and tried to think of an appropriate response, but fell short. “Well, I'm just trying to work and save as much as I can, and then I'm thinking about going to school to be a music teacher”, Frank stammered. Gerard burst out into maniacal laughter as the rest of the table ignored him. “A teacher!? They barely make a decent wage. Go that route and Michael's salary will more than quadruple yours! You can't support a husband or a family that way, sweetheart. Your career will practically be a hobby!”, Mrs. Way exclaimed.

Frank was fidgeting in his seat at this point. His boyfriend had told him to be on _his_ best behavior just to feed him to the wolves? Frank thought about the first time he'd introduced his mother to his boyfriend and all she'd done was ask Mikey about his interests and goals to be friendly...she'd never rip him apart at the dinner table. Frank's mother only cared that the boys' relationship was happy and healthy. Frank didn't know how much more of this he could take. “W-Well, it's just a career that would make me happy”, he mumbled. And Gerard laughed loudly again, holding his stomach as if to signal that he wanted to laugh much more than he was. “So you're saying you don't mind living under the financial security of Michael? That it would make you happy?”, Mr. Way asked rhetorically, “You were just raised to pick a bread winner?” Frank's nervous eyes darted across the table; everyone was staring at him except his boyfriend as his words caught in his throat. “N-n-no, I uh, I-I j-just-”, Frank stammered.

“Way to go, Dad. You're gonna make Mikey's boyfriend piss himself!”, Gerard laughed. Mr. Way began arguing with Gerard as Mrs. Way started questioning Mikey about his relationship as if Frank weren't sitting beside him. Frank felt like he was suffocating, felt his chest tighten. He tried his hardest but couldn't fight back the tears silently escaping his eyes. He didn't think twice before he jumped from his seat and darted out the front door.

He sat down on a bench on the the front porch with his head in his hands as he tried to slow his breathing and calm himself down. He was an adult who was capable of fighting his own battles, but in a situation like _this_ , he couldn't stop wondering why his boyfriend hadn't stood up for him. He knew he had to go home and that despite how upset he was, knew he'd somehow end up being the one to console his boyfriend on the phone later, knew he'd be the one apologizing. He was angry, but more than anything he felt lost. Why didn't Mikey defend him? Did he agree with his parents? Did he agree with his brother? Was he actually ashamed of Frank? His tears streamed into the palms of his hands and for the first time, he couldn't wait to be distanced further from his boyfriend. He tried to focus on his breathing so he could avoid driving home in a panic. It was a twenty minute drive and he didn't want to get into an accident from being too distracted behind the wheel; it was mid-June and he already had enough to worry about on the road as most students were fresh out of school and haphazardly driving to the Jersey shore for vacation.

He was torn from his thoughts when he heard slow clapping approaching from the front door. “Verrrrry good job, Frank. Much better than when Mikey brought Thomas home. This was a Grade-A Shit Show”, Gerard smirked, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. If Frank wasn't already aggravated, the mention of Mikey's ex-boyfriend alone was enough to have him fuming. “I'm glad this has been entertaining for you”, Frank said through gritted teeth, as he tried to wipe the tears from his face. “Always amusing to watch a simple dinner play out like a car crash”, Gerard said coolly, exhaling smoke into the air. Frank stood up and faced him, ready to head to his car. He might have been nervous about meeting his boyfriend's parents, but didn't feel the need to impress his brother; There was not much seniority, he knew Gerard was only a few years older, roughly twenty-four. “Do you get off on humiliating someone who's done nothing to you?”, Frank asked, wiping his cheek again when he realized Mikey still hadn't come out to check up on him.

“Not always”, Gerard smirked, “But it's just so fun when I'm not the biggest disappointment in the room.” Frank couldn't believe how someone so close to his age could be such an asshole given the situation, he was done playing nice. “Go ahead, get huffy and puffy with me, prove to everyone how wrong you are for my brother”, Gerard said. It drove Frank mad how condescending and ill-intentioned he was. “I'm not _'wrong'_ for your brother. Sorry I'm different, sorry I'm not from fucking Alpine or Short Hills. Me and Mikey still love each other”, Frank spat, shouldering past Gerard and towards his car. Gerard followed.

“Oh, _I'm sure you do_. Be sure to send me an invite to the wedding. You know, maybe you can save money by having Pencey play the wedding!”, Gerard giggled. Frank saw red at the realization Mikey must've told his brother the name of Frank's band. He felt trapped as he stood between Gerard and his car door. “Fuck you”, Frank spat as he shoved Gerard's shoulders. Gerard's feet stood grounded, he smirked and blew smoke in Frank's face before dropping his cigarette. “You wish, dickhead”, Gerard said as he grabbed Frank's face and kissed him. Frank gasped at the response and Gerard took it as an invitation to shove his tongue into Frank's mouth. Frank didn't kiss back, it took him a minute to process what was happening before he shoved Gerard off of him again. 

Temporarily stunned, he said nothing at stared at Gerard with wide eyes before getting in his car and speeding home.


	3. Disenchanted

Frank rushed into the front door of his house and almost collided with his mother, who was on her way out to work. “What's wrong? What happened!?”, she asked opening her arms to hold him. Frank knew his face had to have been red from how hard he started crying on the way home. When he opened his mouth to reply, he just sobbed into her shoulder. His mother tightened her grip around him, rubbing her hand on his shoulder. He felt like a child again, oversensitive and fragile, but he had always been close with his mother. It'd always been the two of them, for as far back as he could remember, but this was something he didn't want to open up to her about. He knew she'd feed him words of reassurance, but he had so much running through his mind and needed to process it on his own first. He had never exactly been a confident person, but he'd never let someone make him feel so insignificant so effortlessly before that dinner. “Did you and Mikey get into a fight?”, she asked softly. Not knowing what to say, he nodded meekly before pulling away, “I'm sorry Ma, I just gotta figure out what I'm gonna do. I don't wanna make you late.” She smiled at him, told him they'll be okay and reminded him to text her if he wanted to talk, she was working another double tonight.

Frank walked to his bedroom and undressed before getting in his bed. He nestled into his blankets and stared at his phone's lock screen waiting for a text or call from his boyfriend. He waited for two hours before he fell asleep.

~~~~~

Frank woke up on his alarm's fourth ring, irritably rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he struggled to silence the blaring alarm. As he sat up, he noticed the unread texts from his boyfriend:

**_-Really? You've got nothing to say?_ **  
**_-Are you fucking serious?_ **  
**_-We need to talk, Frank._ **

Frank's heart beat frantically in his chest; Was Mikey seriously angry that Frank had left? Or had he seen his brother kiss him? What was that even about? Why was Gerard that dedicated to stirring the pot? Wait, how could Mikey possibly be mad at him? Was he about to get dumped over one shitty dinner with his parents? Was he about to throw away nearly four years together over several hours that didn't even affect him? Frank hoped with all he had in him that Mikey wouldn't leave him. Frank tried to be modest, but he knew he was a decent boyfriend; He'd treated Mikey much better than any of his previous partners. Because Frank thought the world of him, Mikey was the first person that stopped Frank from rolling his eyes or gagging at romantic movies or even reality shows, all the corny things they said about finding _”the one”_ , Mikey was the reason he believed it all; because with Mikey, he felt each spark.

Frank didn't respond to the texts, he'd wait until he'd been awake for longer, at least til he had a cup of coffee or two. He threw on a hoodie and walked to the kitchen to put on a fresh pot of coffee and synced his phone to the bluetooth speakers in the kitchen. He listened to a random playlist as he started cooking breakfast, but froze when I'm The One by the Descendents began to play. 

_Nice guys finish last, No one knows as good as me.  
We're just good friends, And you come to me for sympathy.  
And you tell me that I'm not your type, still you call me every night  
Everytime he picks a fight, after all he's said and all he's done._

_I'm the one, I've been here for you all along  
I'm the one, the shoulder you been cryin' on_

Mikey hated this song as his ringtone in Frank's phone, but it had always made sense to Frank. The two had met September of their junior year at Holy Angels, an expensive and pretentious Catholic school that Frank still thinks his mother wasted her time and money slaving away to send him to. Before Mikey styled his hair and bleached it, before he got lasik and grew confidence; he was just a lanky dork with straightened brown hair and thick rimmed glasses that hid half of his face. He was president of the Debate Team and a fucking Mathlete, who tried too hard to blend into the crowded halls of uniforms. Ironically enough, Frank had met him in detention. Mikey refused to name the person who had broken his glasses, swearing up and down he hadn't seen a fight in the halls and hadn't been bullied. But the result of his broken glasses had marked him absent from several classes as he couldn’t see the classroom numbers and entered several wrong rooms. Frank on the other hand, was once again in trouble for violating dress code; he'd pierced his nose with a safety pin and smirked confidently as he strolled into his first class with a small silver hoop in his face. He’d already been reprimanded for his awkward black mohawk with bleached sides, but his mother fought the school on that one, the piercing however was strictly against Holy Angels dress code. They had made small talk in the small classroom detention was held, and it somehow ended with Mikey offering to tutor Frank in Trigonometry. 

Frank had thought Mikey was adorable from the second he sat down next to him that afternoon. He'd had a handful of girlfriends in the past, messed around with a few guys from other schools, but when he went home that day he knew he wanted Mikey to be his boyfriend. Frank's mother swears she knew what was going on in her son’s head by the way he so “blatantly swooned over the boy” at the kitchen table everytime he'd come over to tutor Frank. They'd become close friends very quickly, and Frank's heart still couldn't be discouraged when he found out Mikey had been dating Thomas Clarke. Thomas was a meathead, a tall blond lacrosse player who's shoulders were too broad to hold up such an empty head. And it didn't take long for Frank to realize who had been repeatedly breaking Mikey's glasses. Mikey didn't deny it when Frank confronted him, instead he broke down, he told him everything. He'd call Frank everytime his boyfriend left his house, cry for hours, give Frank more details than he'd wanted to hear. But when Frank pushed and pushed for the relationship to end, Mikey would swear he didn't know everything; despite him quite literally telling him everything. But Frank was patient, and supportive. 

_He's a total dick,  
That's the truth and you know I'm right.  
From everything you say,  
There's no way he'll ever do you right.  
You love a man who treats you wrong  
You think you'll change him, but you're wrong.  
He'll use you, he'll say so long  
After all he's said and all he’s done.._

_I'm the one,  
Who wants you more than anything.  
You don't feel the same way,  
You made it clear to me.  
But I'll stand my ground,  
And maybe you'll hear what I've been sayin  
After all I've said and all I've done  
I'm the one_

As the outro to the song faded and Frank poured his coffee, he thought back to the kid his boyfriend was when they'd started dating. Not only was Thomas abusive, but he'd cheated on Mikey and it broke him. When Mikey had called Frank and hesitated to tell him the news, Frank had started the conversation about the girl he'd thought about asking out. He'd barely gotten out two sentences before Mikey hung up on him and showed up at Frank's house unannounced half an hour later. Frank opened the door completely unprepared for the kiss Mikey greeted him with. Needless to say, Frank never ended up asking out Sarah from his Global History class. 

The first two years were their strongest, now that Frank reminisces, and he wonders when their differences stopped bringing them together. He sips his coffee and sighs as he remembers all the times Mikey swooned over Frank's interests, would beg him to play guitar for him, or ask him to describe the plots of all his favorite horror movies that Mikey was too afraid to watch. He remembers when Mikey got accepted into Princeton, how he'd taken him out to celebrate and how sweet it was when the night ended with Mikey's happy tears and endless I love you's. Mikey chose to commute forty minutes to school as opposed to campus housing just to be closer to Frank, despite still living twenty to thirty minutes apart, depending on traffic. The first few months, Mikey would sleep over Frank's house frequently, despite how early he'd have to wake up and head to school, leaving Frank to wake up to small scribbled lovenotes left on the pillow. 

He wants to know if the honeymoon phase is really over, or adulthood is just tearing them apart. He wants to know when the boy who'd text lists of reasons why he loved him instead of paying attention in class, became the short-fused man who lets his parents belittle his lover. He wants to know why there's a silent rage boiling in his gut where yesterday's sadness and vulnerability dies. Frank finishes his coffee and throws away the breakfast he prepared without taking a single bite, appetite lost within the slew of questions he's afraid to get answers to. He turns off his music and shoots a quick text: 

_**\- come by after 7. we'll talk. love you xo** _

Frank heads back to his room and gets ready for work. He only has to work at the music shop today, and he really needed his coworker and friend, Ray, to give him some insight on everything. Ray teaches guitar lessons at the music shop and for the last two years, has become Frank's best friend outside of his bandmates. His demeanor always soothes Frank's worries, and he gives the best advice while being completely honest with Frank. He's got no tolerance for bullshit and doesn't hesitate to tell Frank when he's being melodramatic or overthinking, but will always remind Frank when he's got to stand his ground.

As Frank headed out the front door, trying to ignore how swollen and red his eyes are from crying the night before. His phone buzzed in his back pocket, a response from Mikey:  
_**-k see you at 7**_

The text confirmed he was mad, and all Frank knew was he needed some guidance from Ray before 7 came and he showed Mikey he wasn't the only one infuriated. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone’s wondering what characters look present time, it’s about 2011 era!
> 
> Also thank you to everyone reading! Sorry I haven’t replied to any comments yet! I appreciate them to no end!!! 💖🥺 I love getting feedback and reading suggestions/etc :)


	4. Surrender The Night

Frank couldn't tell if he did a good job at keeping himself busy or it was his nerves eating away at the lining of his stomach that made his shift go by so quickly. As predicted, Ray was his voice in reason and tried his best to help bring Frank some sort of clarity. He brought up important points that Frank didn't exactly _want_ to hear, but it was the truth and that was preferable above all else; Ray instructed Frank not to let his emotions control him when his boyfriend came over, told him to remember how much he loves his partner but not to let it blind him or excuse the issue at hand, his family. Ray told him it's not necessary to give his boyfriend an ultimatum, but to emphasize how the relationship is going to continue to suffer if Mikey continues to allow his family to disrespect him.

Frank returned home from work with enough time to shower and change into a loose white t-shirt and sweatpants before Mikey arrived. He sat on his bed and messed with guitar, purposely not checking his phone. His boyfriend said he'd see him at 7, so Frank had already expected him to stroll into the house at 6:50 sharp.

As expected, there was a sharp knock on his bedroom door; he'd left the front door unlocked out of laziness, but he really did need to practice his songs for his bands show the next night. Before he could even respond, Mikey was opening the door and closing it behind him with a huff. “Hey baby,” Frank greeted, getting up to put his guitar away. Frank tried remembering what Ray told him earlier about controlling his emotions when Mikey dodged the small peck Frank tried to give him. He could feel his blood beginning to boil already. “So, what's going on with you? I'm really sorry about my parents, but I literally warned you about everything for _weeks_ , Frank. Then they do everything that I warned you about and you _cry_ and leave? That's not like you...”, Mikey sighed. But he didn't look concerned in the slightest, he looked pissed off. “Baby, nothing you warned me about could've prepared me for that. They were tearing me a new asshole while you just sat there.. And your fucking brother? What the _fuck_ was that about? You used to talk about him like he was the coolest person ever. No offense, but he's a total dickhead”, Frank scoffed, attempting to defend himself. Mikey sighed and ran his palms over his face, rubbing his eyes forcefully, “I told you that in high school, when he was in college. Everyone thinks their older siblings are great at that age..ugh, Frank, that's besides the point. What's going on with you?”, Mikey asks. While it was out of character for Frank to cry to suddenly, he can't even begin to understand why Mikey saw it as so unreasonable. “Babe, you're kidding right?”, he laughs to try and keep the mood light, “You sat there and didn't say a word. I kicked you under the table for Christ's sake! I needed you to back me up and you let them pick me apart like vultures!” Mikey rolled his eyes, no attempt to hide it either, “You're a big boy, I'd like to think you can defend yourself. You used to at least.” Frank was starting to see red, “The fuck is that supposed to mean? I used to? I still can, Mikey, I was just trying to be decent since they're ya know, your parents. And that you've been lecturing me like a child for months about how important the goddamned dinner was!” Mikey took a deep breath before going on a tangent about growing up and being adult and honestly, those were the only phrases Frank really acknowledged. His head was spinning and it was really hard to see Ray as the angel on his shoulder while his boyfriend spewed bullshit at him. “Are you ashamed of me?”, Frank blurted out.

Mikey paused and stared at him with wide eyes, “Excuse me?” Frank didn't want to admit it, but that reaction answered his question, “Oh my god. You're embarrassed of me. Your brother was right, wasn't he?” Mikey's eyes searched the ceiling, nose scrunched, the face he made everytime he was thinking. Frank used to think it was adorable but in this moment, he wanted to shake him. “You know what? No, you're not going to think for five seconds trying to find the perfect answer, because the right answer is obvious”, Frank began, fighting back the burning in his eyes as Mikey shrugged at him. “The obvious answer... I dunno, maybe 'No babe, of course I'm not embarrassed of you, I love you!'?”, Frank exclaimed, voice cracking. Mikey opened his mouth to speak and Frank didn't want to hear it, “No! No no no, I'm not doing this. You should leave.” Mikey stood up without hesitation and headed towards the bedroom door. Frank hunched forward and hid his face in his hands before he heard Mikey stop and speak softly, “Where does this leave us?” Frank sighed heavily, speaking through the cracks in his fingers, “Did you come here to end things, Mikes?” Mikey walked over to Frank, pulling his face out of his hands, “Of course not, I love you. You've just been acting strange.” 

“Mikey, I want you to leave, right now. I love you, you know that. But I need you to go home and think about the person I am versus the person you want me to be. And I need you to decide which one you love”, Frank said sadly. He shook his head when Mikey protested, and pointed to the door. Mikey leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaving. He had known Frank for years, he knew as an adult his fuse was nowhere near as short as it was when they met as teenagers; Mikey knew the next step for Frank would be yelling, and he knew it was the last thing either of them would want, because when Frank felt backed into a corner and was angry enough, he said things he couldn't take back, truly hurtful things he didn't mean. Frightened dogs bite. 

~~~~~~

The next day, Frank still hadn't heard from his boyfriend halfway through his shift at his mother's diner and he was terrified. He wasn't on edge, just worn down. He barely slept the night before, it was impossible to get comfortable, tossing and turning on a bed of what-if's. How was he supposed to move forward from the love of his life seeing him as something to be embarrassed of? And the worst part was, Frank wasn't a bad guy. He was a sweetheart, a hopeless romantic, Mikey made his world turn; He was thoughtful and worked hard. Frank didn't see himself as a catch but never saw himself as someone to be embarrassed of: He was a good fucking person. So how could he fix himself if he couldn't even see what was broken? When did Mikey's heart decide Frank wasn't good enough? Why was it taking him so long to call Frank and apologize, tell him his parents were wrong and out of line, tell him he loves him and remind him of all the reasons why?

~~~~~~

As the venue began to fill out, Frank's spirits were still not raised. For once, he accepted his bandmate's offers of shots. He was a few months shy of 21, but no one at this venue knew that, especially because his bandmates were all 23 or older. Normally he'd have a few beers, get a small buzz going after they'd finished playing, hung around for a few hours drinking water and then go home. But tonight, he needed to laugh and remember why he spent so much time practicing the songs he wrote. Frank actually found himself having fun as he chatted with other bands that were playing and was a little more than buzzed. And that's when an acquaintance from another band asked how Mikey was doing. Frank was too buzzed to be upset, instead he was angry. His friends and mutuals knew about Mikey from him mentioning his boyfriend adoringly the last year or so, and because in the beginning of his band playing shows, he'd have to find excuses for why Mikey was never in the crowd. Mikey showed up to their first few shows, before he bluntly told Frank that he didn't like the music, didn't like the crowd and that 'it didn't make a difference' if he was there or not. It upset Frank at first, but he swallowed it down and got used to it. By the time Pencey Prep began playing, Frank channeled his inner turmoils regarding his relationship into every line. At certain points, he felt his mind fighting the alcohol that wanted to slur his words, used his anger to project them from his throat. He didn't miss a beat, didn't miss a single chord. His body felt electric, and they easily played one of their best performances.

When he got off stage, he B-lined straight to the bar. His entire body was tingling, he felt good and wanted to keep it up, he was off the next day and for once, wanted to stay for the entirety of the show and just drink with his friends. He ordered a Jack and Coke before he felt a tap on his shoulder and someone yelling into his ear over the sound of the next band who took the stage, “Great show tonight!” Frank yelled back a _Thanks!_ before turning around and almost spilling his drink on himself when he was met with a mop of bright red hair. Gerard laughed before taking a sip of his drink. Frank shook his head, not wanting to believe his eyes and walked out of the bar to the backyard smoking area. He quit smoking years ago as per Mikey's unruly demands, but he was still riding out the adrenaline from the show. He always craved a cigarette when he was drunk. He bummed one off of someone walking inside and felt his pockets for a lighter.

“Need a light?”, he heard before a hand extended with a lighter and lit his cigarette. He rolled his eyes, of course it was Gerard. He lit his own cigarette and smiled. “What do you want from me? Why are you here, Gerard?”, Frank spat. For a split second, Gerard's confident front faltered and he looked confused. “What are you talking about?”, Gerard asked, taken aback. “What are you doing here?”, Frank asked, exhaling smoke as he shook his head. “Oh get over yourself, I'm always here”, Gerard laughed before taking a long sip from his own drink. Frank couldn't hold in his laughter. Always here? Gerard? The Zebra Lounge was a frequent venue Pencey played for the past year. Frank recognized most regulars by now, and Gerard is far too fard to miss in a crowd. “Yeah, _okay, sure._ Whatever you say”, Frank rolled his eyes animatedly. Gerard didn’t look as amused until he blew a cloud of cigarette smoke in Frank’s face, “How else did you think I knew about Pencey?” Frank stared at him for a moment, the answer was too obvious, “Uh, Mikey?” Gerard laughed softly as a _tsk tsk tsk_ escaped through gritted teeth, “You think Mikey would tell me about this? You really think Mikey would tell me anything about you? He’s too good to talk to me, hasn’t mentioned you since he was with Thomas.”  
Hearing that name again aggravated Frank, but he pushed through it. It made sense, Mikey hadn’t mentioned his older brother to Frank since they were still in high school. Back when his boyfriend idolized his older brother, repeated half of his phone calls from his brother’s college back to Frank, enthused about how his brother was going to make it big, was gonna work for Cartoon Network, and would then describe in agonizing detail each page of his brother’s new comics. “So you expect me to believe you heard of Pencey from coming to our shows?”, Frank asked, narrowing his eyes. “Oh _come on, Frankie_. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed me during your shows?”, Gerard cooed in a mocking tone. Frank chugged the rest of his drink as fast as he could before flicking his cigarette to the ground. He didn’t want to entertain Gerard, didn’t want to let another member of the Way family put a damper on his night.   
“You know, the show back in April was one of my favorites - when you played Trying To Escape The Inevitable for the first time. Which one of you writes the lyrics?”, Gerard asked. He didn’t look as cocky this time, but it’s probably because his attention was focused over his shoulder at the back door of the venue. He looked like he was waiting for someone as he smoked. Frank’s eyes widened, “Wait.. You actually come to our shows?” Gerard turned his head to look back at Frank and nodded. “If you weren’t so in-the-zone when you played, I’d be offended you didn’t notice me”, Gerard chuckled. “I’m surprised, you’re hard to miss”, Frank said, hand motioning to Gerard’s hair. Maybe it was the liquor, but it wasn’t until then that Frank actually acknowledged Gerard fully. He was wearing black, scuffed up boots with cuffed, black jeans that held onto every minute curve of his legs, and loose-fitted shirt that was poorly cut into a muscle-tank, the sleeves ran down to just below his ribs. Frank’s face flushed as Gerard caught him staring, “Yeah, definitely wouldn't have looked at me like that a few months back.” Gerard let out a soft giggle that ended with a snort and for a second – just a split second, Frank thought it was cute. “What?”, Frank all but stuttered out. He was looking for a way to go back inside and wasn't sure why he was trying to avoid being rude to the man who encouraged his humiliation two nights prior. He tried to ease his thoughts by telling himself it was because while it was his boyfriend's dickhead brother, it was also someone who supported his band. “A few months back. I had black hair and temporarily forgot how to do laundry. Not as hot as you know I am now”, Gerard smirked, showing his teeth and throwing his cigarette to the ground. “I never said-”, Frank had never been so thankful for being cut off. “Gee! There you are!”, a voice squealed from the bar door. 

It came from a man taller than Frank with long black hair and bright blue eyes. The man walked up to Gerard and somehow managed to squeeze his hand into Gerard's back pocket, “Was wondering where you were.” Gerard let out a fake laugh before mumbling something about stepping out to smoke. The two turned around to head back inside, Gerard turned his head back at Frank. “See ya around, Frankie”, he winked.

Frank didn’t know why, but he was kind of irritated with Gerard’s demeanor knowing he was either on a date or with his boyfriend. Not that he wanted Gerard to look at him with playful eyes and speak with a condescending tongue, it just irked him. From the looks of it, it seemed like an awkward date. From what he remembered Mikey telling him in high school, Gerard didn’t date much. But if it weren’t for Gerard’s catastrophe of coming out to their parents, Mikey would probably still be in the closet and Frank was always somehow thankful for Gerard’s misfortune that day. 

Frank went back inside to join his friends, who now included Ray, a bit late after closing up the music shop. Frank had a few more drinks and tried to ignore how his eyes betrayed him, his gaze frequently magnetizing to fire-engine red hair, no matter where in the bar; and he tried to ignore how the how the hazel eyes always found his in the crowd and winked hungrily. He brushed it off and left the bar in the early hours of the morning to return to an empty bed and heavy heart.


	5. Drowning Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((in the texts, frank is bold; mikey is bold and italicized))

Several days of silence before Frank heard anything from his boyfriend. A single text from Mikey that reignited Frank's vexation instantaneously:

**_Are you done being a child? Where have you been???_**

Frank began typing, then deleting, typing and deleting, typing and deleting before Mikey must've gotten tired of eyeing down the reappearing three dots in the text bubble. I'm The One began playing on Frank's phone and before the second line, he accepted the call without a word. “Hello?”, Mikey's voice shook him from his trance. Frank's words escaped him. “Frank, what the fuck is going on?”, Mikey spat. “What are you talking about? I asked you to think about who you really want to be with and don't hear from you all weekend”, Frank sighed. “Who I want? What does that even mean?”, Mikey scoffed. He always knew how to make Frank feel two inches tall. “Mikey, what do you want from me?”, he rolled his eyes. Frank could hear Mikey take a deep breath. “What _I want_ is for you to stop acting like a child. I want you to stop acting like we're still in high school just because _you_ cracked under the pressure of meeting my parents and now you're taking it out on me. You're acting like _Gerard_ for Christ's sake.”

“How am I being childish? Why do you always brush off how I'm feeling?”, Frank exclaimed. “Cause your feelings are always a production, and you refuse to fucking grow up, Frank. We’re not teenagers anymore, you need to get your shit together and I’m tired of waiting around for you to be an adult!”, Mikey spat. “Always a production? I need to grow up?”, Frank stammered angrily, “I work more than you do, I’ve been paying my own bills for years! You really think you’re grown up because you got into the same college as daddy and wanna live in his shadow?” Frank can hear Mikey’s footsteps through the receiver and knows he’s pacing in circles. “Oh and that’s a bad thing? Why? Because you can’t make your father proud, I shouldn’t make mine!?”, Mikey raised his voice. Frank was stunned that Mikey would ever stoop so low, an awkward silence followed before Mikey realized what he’d said, “Frank, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

Frank ended the call without further hesitation, he was speechless. Before he could even process the bitter words, his phone was ringing again. He’d never regretted not changing his ringtone more; he declined the call. Mikey really thought a soft apology was going to erase bringing up Frank’s father? Not only mentioning him, but saying Frank couldn’t make his father proud? What was Frank supposed to do; buy a Ouija board and ask his father for advice? Mikey knew it was a line to never be crossed and Frank was still in shock that the words even came out of his boyfriend’s mouth. He heard the first line of I’m The One and declined the second call.

Instead Frank sent out a quick text: **Don’t call. Need time.**

_**-How much time, Frank?? I’m sorry.** _

**-Consider it a break. Need space.**

__**-I truly am sorry. I didn't mean what I said.  
-I understand. I love you.  
-Don't forget it' us against the world. **

Mikey's texts were a cheap trick he used the very few times he was afraid of losing Frank. 'Us against the world' was essentially their slogan when they'd started dating. It was cliché and borderline cheesy, but it used to bring Frank back down to Earth when he'd felt himself get caught up in arguments. Now, it irritated him. And then it hit him: What was he doing? Was he really putting his relationship on hold? He didn't care if things had gotten rocky with his partner lately, it didn't change the fact that he was completely and utterly in love with the man. Frank knew the relationship needed to change, but he didn't want it to end. He stared at his screen as Mikey was the now the one typing and erasing messages repeatedly, the grey speech bubble vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Frank tried to convince himself it would be okay. Maybe taking a break would make his boyfriend learn something from this..maybe the anxiety and fear of Frank ending things completely would make him re-evaluate the issues Frank had repeatedly tried communicating with him. Maybe a break from the relationship was what they needed. We need a break to fix things. **Its for the best rn. love you too xx** , Frank texted.

He stood up and put his phone on the charger, turned the volume down to vibrate. He left his bedroom and headed to the bathroom for a shower. He had work in an hour.

~~~~~~

The week went by excruciatingly slow despite working doubles at the diner, offering to stay later at the music shop each shift, and even additional weekly practices with Pencey. Every moment Frank had to himself was flooded with thoughts of Mikey. He couldn't stop his mind from wondering what Mikey was doing, found himself frequently checking the time, knowing when Mikey's classes ended and when he'd gotten home, and it was so difficult to break from the routine he'd grown accustomed to with the man. Every minute of every day felt off kilter and uncomfortable. Frank repeatedly found himself wondering if he was being too hard-headed every night before he went to bed.

Friday afternoon finally came and the monotony was only disturbed by his friend Trevor texted him, damned near begging him to hang out. It wasn't until the fourth pleading text that Frank reluctantly agreed to go out. Trevor was going to pick him up several hours after his shift at the diner, giving him enough time to shower, make himself look decent and mentally prepare himself for a night out he hadn't had in a while.

~~~~~~

Frank ended up wearing a pair of fitted black jeans with ripped knees, an old Bad Brains t-shirt with a grey and maroon flannel, despite how warm the weather was. Trevor pulled him into an awkward one-armed hug as Frank sat in his passenger seat, “How are you holding up?” Frank nodded as he fastened his seatbelt, “I'm alright, how you been? It's been a while.” Trevor was one of Frank's close friends, they had met at the diner years prior before Trevor left for a better job elsewhere. They had lost contact from their work schedules and the motions of early adulthood, but he was one of those friends where there was never bad blood in distance, they'd pick right back up where they'd left off and continue on. Frank hadn't seen his friend since his 23rd birthday party six months prior. 

“Oh come on, don't make me drag it out of ya. I know something's up with you and Mikey”, Trevor said as he began to drive. Frank shook his head softly, “Nothing crazy, just a rough patch.” Trevor snickered to himself, “A 'rough patch'? What does that even mean? I know it's something big.” Frank argued in a friendly manner that nothing horrific had happened, and they bickered until his friend got him to admit him and Mikey had been on a break as of a week ago. He stared out the passenger side window, wanting to avoid the topic, but appreciating how attentive his friend was. “Well, you know how I feel about him, dude. Don't get me wrong, I like him. I just don't like him for you”, Trevor said sincerely.

Frank noticed after nearly ten minutes that they were nowhere near Trevor's house, “Where are we going?” Trevor laughed as he pulled the car into a parking lot, “Somewhere to get your mind off that snobby blonde!” Frank laughed awkwardly until he realized they were at a bar right outside of town.

It was a shitty dive bar, but very clean and very packed, thankfully so as they didn't ID Frank. When they got inside, they were greeted by some of Trevor's friends and members of his own band. They all cheered when they saw Frank's face, greeting him in unison, mumbles of “good to see ya”s and “where ya been”s. The group took vacancy in a booth along the wall, laughing and drinking and cringing over the apart open mic that was taking place across the room on the small stage in the corner. Frank felt nervous at first until he realized Trevor was right; as the night progressed he found himself far too distracted by laughter and catching up with friends than to fixate on his worries and heartbreak. 

He couldn't tell how much time had passed, but all the drinks caught up with him as he stood up and stumbled his way to the bathroom. He hadn't meant to get so drunk, it was easy to get caught up in the moment. His limbs tingled from laughter and he found himself laughing at nothing as he stood outside the bathroom door after knocking. His back pressed into the wall facing the bathroom door, stuck in a fit of giggles.

However, the giggles were caught in his throat when the bathroom door opened, and out stumbled a pale man. One hand wiping at his mouth as the other hand struggled to comb through his bright red hair. Frank's face immediately flushed as he tried to turn his gaze to the floor.


	6. Under Pressure

Gerard didn't notice Frank standing there until a raspy chuckle was heard saying, “Hey isn't that your friend?” Frank looked up to see the voice came from the same guy who was with Gerard the last time they saw each other at the Pencey show.. Except this time the guy was walking out of the one-person bathroom after Gerard and zipping his fly with a smirk. Gerard looked up at Frank with wide eyes, blushing, cheeks almost identical to his hair. Gerard gestured a small wave at Frank before grabbing his friend's wrist tightly and nearly dragging him back into the crowd of the bar.

Frank splashed water on his face in the bathroom and was almost thankful he caught Gerard in such an awkward situation because it meant Gerard would probably avoid him for the rest of the night. But at the same time, _he_ wanted to antagonize Gerard. It was probably all the liquor in his system that told him it was his turn to give the older man a taste of his own medicine. Frank returned to his group of friends and nonchalantly scanned the crowd for a patch of bright hair. When he didn’t see him, he grabbed his drink off the table and bummed a cigarette from one of Trevor’s friends before heading outside.

Just as he had expected, he saw Gerard and the guy from earlier sitting at a table in the corner of the back patio. Frank chugged his drink, and watched from the corner of his eye as the guy walked back into the bar. He put his empty glass back down on a nearby table before sauntering over to Gerard. “Got a light?”, Frank smirked. Gerard looked deep in thought and jumped in his seat at the sound of Frank’s voice. He glanced up at him, face still shocked, but he held up a lighter to light Frank’s cigarette. Frank nodded thanking him before sitting down across from him. Gerard lit up his own cigarette and tapped his fingers on the table in a trance. 

“So, I never struck you as the floozy hook up in the bathroom type”, Frank snickered, exhaling smoke. Gerard’s mouth jaw dropped and his face was unreadable as he looked into Frank’s eyes. Frank laughed softly, “I’m just fucking with you.” Gerard sighed in relief before taking another drag of his cigarette. He laughed nervously, “Can you uh, not mention that to my brother?” Frank’s cocky attitude deflated, he’d gone this far without thinking about Mikey, and really didn’t want the mere mention of his name ruin his night. “That should be easy”, Frank muttered, rolling his eyes. “What, are you guys fighting?”, Gerard asked. Even though this was only the third time speaking to him, it was weird to see him soft-spoken and docile. Frank couldn’t process his own thoughts fast enough before he heard himself blurting out, “We’re not together.”

Gerard choked on smoke, “Excuse me, what? I just saw you a week ago, what could’ve possibly happened?” Frank felt angry, it was none of Gerard’s business; they weren’t friends, Gerard was just a cocky asshole who happened to share a bloodline with the love of his life. “Don’t you have more important things to worry about? Like what you could’ve caught on your knees in the bathroom?”, Frank spat before taking a drag. He knew he probably crossed a line but he was drunk and filterless and in that moment, he had nothing to lose.

And just like that, Gerard was back to his regular self as he scoffed. “What?”, Frank asked. “Oh _Frankie_ , jealousy doesn’t look good on you. Especially over someone like _Bert_ ”, he purred. As Frank choked on his words searching for a response, Gerard threw his cigarette to the ground and returned to the bar. Frank stood there, mouth agape and irritable before retreating back inside. He’d figured the worst of his night was over - until he rejoined his group of friends.

When he sat down at the booth, he immediately noticed the guy Gerard had been hanging around, presumably _Bert_ was sitting across from him, between two of Trevor’s friends. “You’re with these guys? I’m surprised I haven’t seen you around!”, Bert let out a gravelly laugh. “What!? Frank’s the lead of Pencey Prep!”, Trevor exclaimed, patting Frank on the shoulder. “Oh shit, really? That’s cool, we should book a show together sometime, little man!”, Bert rasped. Frank was seething in his seat, no attempt at hiding it, but it went over Bert’s head. “Anyway, nice to meet you officially kid. I’m gonna dip, guys”, Bert said before standing up, waving and heading towards the entrance. Frank thought it was strange that Gerard was nowhere to be seen, he’d assumed the two came together. But maybe he just went home too.

Frank stood up to head back to the bar, swearing it’d be his last drink as he tried his hardest not to trip over his own feet. He had no idea what time it was but was beyond thankful he’d maxxed out on the hours his job’s permitted for the week. He could already imagine how tomorrow’s hangover was going to feel, but looked forward to spending the day in bed. After ordering, he leaned on the bar to keep his balance, waiting for the bartender to return with his drink, he heard muffled cursing to his right. It was Gerard, looking over his shoulder at the crowded room. 

Frank didn’t realize he was staring until Gerard was speaking again, this time at him as he looked him in the eyes, “You okay?” Frank nodded before returning his gaze to the bartop, embarrassed he’d been caught. Gerard lightly tapped him on the shoulder, “Hey, I know you’re doing this bit where you pretend you hate me cause you wanna fuck me but, can I use your phone? My ride ditched me.” Gerard was smirking but Frank noticed the way he rolled his eyes exhaustedly at the mention of his ride. Frank contemplated arguing but knew it’d be pointless - It seemed nothing slowed down Gerard’s condescendence. He reached into his back pocket and handed Gerard his phone after unlocking it. “Here”, he mumbled. Gerard took the phone with a small smile before dialing a number quickly and bringing the phone to his ear. He looked aggravated as he hung up without speaking, his ride hadn’t answered. Gerard smiled, showing small teeth as he handed his phone back to Frank, “Thanks. I’ll see ya around Frankie.”

Frank watched as Gerard managed to disappear into the crowd and thought it was strange that he only tried to call Bert once after being ditched. He thought about offering him a ride, but remembered he didn’t drive and had zero desire to see the Way estate again anytime soon. He returned to his friends and was thankful when he noticed Trevor had been drinking water throughout the night. Frank switched over to water shortly before Trevor asked if he wanted to go back home.

On the ride back home, he thanked Trevor repeatedly for taking him out and helping ease his troubled thoughts. He was beyond grateful for their friendship and how well they understood one another. He struggled to unlock his front door and made a mental note to drink more water after he changed into pajamas. However, all mental notes went out the window after changing, when he heard his phone’s text tone go off. He’d assumed it was Trevor letting him know he’d gotten home safe, until he read the text: _**watcha up to frankie? make it home safe?? ;)**_

The text was from an unknown number, but Frank had his suspicions. He checked his call log, and sighed heavily. It wasn’t a surprise that it was the same number Gerard called on his phone at the bar. _That smug motherfucker_ , Frank thought. Frank began typing a response before setting his phone down, remembering to go grab a bottle of water.  
When he returned to bed, he picked up his phone and deleted what he had previously typed out; It wasn’t worth his energy and he’d contemplate responding in the morning. He turned off the reading lamp on his nightstand and buried himself in a cocoon of blankets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~just a quick chapter for story progression~  
> comments/suggestions always appreciated! Thank you for reading :)


	7. Phoning It In

As Frank predicted, the hangover the next day was excruciating. At this point in his morning he’d already drank five bottles of water and still felt like his brain was throbbing against his skull, his body felt deflated like one of those anti-drug campaign commercials. He watched tv in bed until noon rolled around, when he finally managed to pry his aching body out of bed to take a shower. 

The scalding beads of water soothed his weary body, and helped him wake up. When he returned to his room, his phone rang. It wasn’t a number he’d recognized, “Hello?”  
“Well it’s good to know you’re safe, Frankie”  
Fuck, it was Gerard. Frank had completely forgotten about the text he received last night and forgot to save Gerard’s number. Not that he’d ever need it, except for situations like this where he’d at least get a head’s up for calls to decline. He sighed heavily as he sat on his bed, “What do you want, Gerard? I’m not playing into your weird game.”

“What game?”, Gerard asked, faking innocence, “Oh - like the game you tried playing last night? When you called me a floozy and then practically eye-fucked me at the bar?”

“Gerard. I’m with Mikey. I wasn’t ‘eye-fucking’ anyone. Give it a rest”, Frank huffed and rolled his eyes.

“You’re not with Mikey, you said so last night. And I know you’re not physically with him cause he just left in an Uber”, Gerard said comically in a sing-songy tune. Frank could hear the smirk in his voice, and could hear a lighter spark in the background.

Frank didn’t know if he should really believe Gerard about Mikey taking an Uber. Where would Mikey even be going? His schedule was clear on Saturdays and outside of spending time with Frank when possible, he normally played tennis in his family’s private court or caught up on schoolwork in his room. Frank wanted to ask Gerard desperately where his brother had gone, but he knew that’s what he wanted; Gerard was playing a twisted game and Frank couldn’t figure out what he was getting out of it. “It’s none of your business”, Frank said as calmly as he could.  
“Well it is my business, considering we’ll finally be seeing a lot more of each other”, Gerard scoffed.  
“What are you talking about!?”  
Gerard made a _tsk tsk tsk_ sound through his teeth, “Funny, contrary to what my parent’s might think, you never struck me as dumb.” Frank’s body stiffened at the memory of the cruel words and insinuations made by Don and Donna Way. “Frankie, we’ve been going to the same places for over a year - the only difference is now you pay attention to me.”  
“I don’t pay you any mind, Gerard.”  
“Paid enough attention to approach me last night”, Gerard laughed. Frank’s face went red, he was running out of responses, “Gerard. What do you want from me?”  
“Why did you and my brother split?”  
“That’s none of your business! You can ask him yourself if you’re that nosey!”, Frank exclaimed.  
“Awe, but where’s the fun in that, Frankie?”, Gerard cooed.   
Frank had had enough, “Gerard. I’m going to ask you one more time, and if you avoid the answer I’m just going to block you: What do you want from me?”   
“Woah, fine, chill out. I have a proposition for you”, Gerard rushed out. Frank sighed into the receiver as he got up to get dressed. “You’re obviously hung up on my little brother and clearly this isn’t a normal fight. Soooo, how about I help clear that mess up?”   
Frank coughed in surprise, “Why would you help me and Mikey?” Gerard scoffed again, “Not help _Mikey_. Help you _with Mikey_.” Frank felt like he shouldn’t be so trusting of the older brother, but was desperate to dig his relationship out of the hole that ended it. “What do you get out of it?”, Frank asked suspiciously. 

“Book a few shows with The Used. Pencey is on the uprise here and The Used could really use some recognition on the East Coast. Bert and the guys are from out West and struggling here, but they sound amazing”, Gerard said - no conceited twist, no sarcasm or mocking. He was serious.

“Wait, you just want me to book a few shows with your _boyfriend’s_ band?”, Frank asked, holding back a chuckle. “He is **_not_** my boyfriend!”, Gerard exclaimed in defense, “Anyway do we have a deal or not? You really drain the fun out of everything.”

Frank tried to think over the pros and cons quickly, before hesitantly agreeing. At this point, what did he have to lose?

~~~~~~

A few days had passed since the phone call with Gerard. Still not a word from Mikey, and Frank was trying to remind himself how stubborn Mikey was - he wasn’t captain of the Debate team for nothing, he could be spiteful and stubborn and the past had shown getting a genuine apology from the man was like getting blood from a stone; he hated admitting when he was wrong, his pride was a blessing and a curse as it kept him confident but hard headed as all hell. But as per Frank and Gerard’s deal, they were going to meet in a coffee shop after Frank had finished his shift at the diner, to go over The Used and Pencey’s schedules. Frank hoped Gerard would see his sincerity and willingness to help out Bert’s band as motivation to truly help reconnect him and the younger brother.

Frank looked up as his GPS told him he’d reached his destination. He’d never seen or heard of the cafe before, and it looked more like a floral shop than a cafe. It was called Dahlia’s and the front window was slightly tinted, an array of floral decals spread throughout. He stepped inside and cringed at the small bell that chimes at the head of the door above him, two tables with couples looked up at him. The cafe had a very cozy, Mom-And-Pop feel to it. It wasn’t very big, only a handful of small wooden tables and several booths. It was definitely plant themed, a small vase with fresh flowers displayed on each table, and Frank was surprised that the mix of fresh flowers and coffee beans was so pleasant. He heard someone clear their throat obnoxiously and looked over to his right; Gerard was staring at him from a booth along the wall.

Frank had walked over and was surprised when Gerard made a hand motion towards the mug in front of the empty booth seat in front of him. He sat down and thanked him for the coffee. “I’ve never heard of this place - or even a cafe with such a strong floral theme”, Frank said, desperate to start a conversation to hide his sudden nervousness. Gerard looked at him as if he were stupid, “The owner and her partner run one of the most popular nurseries in North Jersey..Did you not notice all the arrangements in the fridges?”, Gerard stated plainly as he pointed to the many fridges on the opposite wall closer to the register. Frank hummed in acknowledgement, “Still kinda random idea.” Why would he know about nurseries? As much as Frank liked flowers, he’d never received them and Mikey complained anytime he was given them early into their relationship. Gerard rolled his eyes, “Flowers trigger dopamine and oxytocin, they make you happy. Plus they sell arrangements, makes for perfect dates.”

“So why’d you have _me_ meet you here then?”, Frank blurted out. Gerard rolled his eyes again and shrugged, “I’m a regular, the coffee’s great and they’ve got the strongest fuckin espresso in Jersey. Plus...who doesn’t like flowers?” Frank scoffed under his breath, “Your brother doesn’t.” Gerard ignored the comment and started digging through a large book bag that sat next to him in the booth. He pulled out an organizer with dozens of colorful post-it note tabs sticking out from all different directions, before opening to an empty page in the back. “So when’s Pencey available to play? The Used are heading back to Utah for a bit in two months”, Gerard said. Frank was so set on fixing things with Mikey, he’d completely forgotten to check in with his band. He quickly sent out a text to their group chat before looking back up to Gerard, who was very clearly awaiting an immediate response, impatiently. Frank told him the availabilities when he’d received replies from his bandmates and watched as Gerard’s tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth while so seriously focused, writing down dates as they fell from Frank’s mouth.

They chatted a bit about the best venues to book and The Used’s sound. Gerard spoke very highly and animatedly and Frank couldn’t understand why Gerard was so hell bent on helping them out. “Why do you want to help them so bad?”, Frank asked as he finished his coffee. “They’re great and they deserve it. They work really hard and they’ve been trying to plan out a huge tour; they’ve got a lot of the West Coast covered, but they needed to expand further”, Gerard replied as he put his planner away and took another sip of his second refill. 

“So you’re doing all this to help the guy that’s quote unquote _not_ your boyfriend?”, Frank thought aloud. “Yes. Bert is my friend and I want to help him, not everyone in my family is focused on their own gain”, Gerard’s tone soft, but an irritable gleam in his eyes. “I just don’t get it, you’re going above and beyond for his band, as far as sneakily getting my number, for a guy who’s just your friend..but you’re always with him and hook up with him?”, Frank smirked, finally feeling he had the upper hand again. Gerard’s eyes narrowed, “Since when is who I sleep with any of your business?”

Frank swallowed dryly, “Wait, you’re supposed to help me with Mikey.” Frank had almost completely forgotten that Mikey was the only reason he was even spending time with the older brother. 

Gerard looked at his phone before grabbing his bag, “Look, sorry I gotta go.” Frank hoped after all of his invasive questions that he hadn’t offended Gerard to the point of not following through with his end of the bargain. “Gerard, wait. You know I need your help”, Frank said as he grabbed Gerard’s wrist to keep him from leaving once he stood up. Gerard shook his head at Frank quickly, “I’ll text you later and we can meet up again. I really gotta go though.” 

But before Frank could mutter out another word, he was already watching the way Gerard’s hips swayed on his way out of the cafe. He hated that he found the older Way brother so attractive when his heart belonged to the younger. For once he was hoping to actually hear from Gerard sooner than later, each day that passed without speaking to Mikey made Frank’s heart break. He really needed Gerard’s help figuring out how to get back with Mikey, he was desperate.


End file.
